1. Field of the Invention
While a bicycle, in its basic form, is a simple, two-wheeled form of transportation, the bicycle industry has evolved in special fields of interest that go far beyond a mere form of transportation. Indeed, different specialized types of bicycles have been developed for sports and hobbies involving bicycles. These different specialized types of bicycles include motocross bicycles, mountain bicycles, and freestyle bicycles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Freestyle or flat land bicycles are often utilized for performing stunts and tricks wherein the cyclists does not remain seated and ride the bicycle with both wheels on the riding surface. Quite to the contrary, in freestyle performances the bicycle is often manipulated so that only one wheel contacts the riding surface, while the other wheel is raised in the air. Furthermore, the rider does not necessarily remain seated, but dismounts from the seat while remaining on the bicycle. For this purpose freestyle bicycles are sometimes provided with pegs that extend laterally from the bicycle frame or the fork legs of a bicycle fork in which a bicycle wheel is mounted. Indeed, some of the freestyle stunts that are performed involve standing on a laterally extending peg while riding the bicycle with one wheel lifted from the riding surface.
While foot peg are quite useful for performing bicycle stunts, they can get in the way. For this reason foot pegs are typically formed as removable structures or accessories that can be attached to or detached from a bicycle fork leg as desired. This allows a rider the option of either attaching the foot peg to the bicycle fork leg for use in performing stunts, or detaching the foot peg so that it does not become an obstruction.
Also, different riders prefer to utilize foot pegs at different locations on the bicycle. Some freestyle stunt riders utilize foot pegs projecting from both sides of the bicycle near the distal ends of both fork legs of both the front and rear bicycle forks. Other riders prefer to utilize foot pegs on only the front fork or on only the rear fork. Still other riders prefer to utilize a single stunt peg on a single side of the bicycle. Some riders prefer the front fork and others prefer the rear fork. A rider can thereby stand on a selected stunt peg to one side of the bicycle frame while still riding and controlling the bicycle.
Since foot pegs do project laterally outwardly from the bicycle fork legs, and since the preferences of freestyle riders as to the selected use and location of foot pegs varies widely, freestyle bicycle foot pegs are typically provided as removable equipment for freestyle bicycles.
In a conventional freestyle bicycle provision is typically made to accommodate foot pegs on both sides of each of the bicycle forks for both the front and rear wheels of the bicycle. So that the foot peg may be removable, each bicycle fork leg is each normally provided with a permanently installed mounting base called a peg boss. In a conventional bicycle the peg boss consists of a short boss or platform that has a flat bearing surface oriented parallel to the alignment of the fork leg and parallel to the plane of rotation of the wheel held between the fork legs. Opposite the flat bearing surface the peg boss is curved in a concave fashion to conform to the outer surface of the fork leg. The peg boss is then welded to the outer surface of the fork leg throughout the entire perimeter of surface contact between the peg boss and the fork leg. The peg boss thereupon becomes a permanent structure that projects outwardly from the fork leg in a direction opposite the location of the wheel between the fork legs.
The foot peg is fastened to the foot peg boss by means of a bolt that is inserted through the open end of the hollow, tubular foot peg. The underside of the head of the bolt bears against the flat, transverse end wall of the closed end of the foot peg. The shank of the bolt is threaded into an internally tapped opening that extends from the bearing surface of the foot peg boss through the structure of the foot peg boss, and into the structure of the fork leg.
In conventional freestyle bicycle wheel forks there are therefore two peg bosses on each fork, one on each fork leg. However, some riders use only one peg and some do not use pegs on the front fork, but do use pegs on the back fork. Nevertheless, in a conventional freestyle bicycle the four peg bosses remain as outwardly projecting protuberances from the fork legs even if no foot pegs are attached to them. When riders rest a foot or both feet on a bicycle foot peg, their legs often rub against the opposite fork legs in performing maneuvers. If a rider uses only one peg or only one peg on each fork, then the boss without a peg on the opposite fork leg or fork legs protrudes outwardly as an obstruction. The unused, but permanently mounted, peg bosses are uncomfortable at least, and can cause injury to the rider. Furthermore, the unused, but protruding, peg bosses are uncomfortable for a rider to grasp with the hand when carrying or working on a conventional freestyle bicycle.
Some riders who perform tricks mount their foot pegs on the ends of the axles of the bicycle and stand on them while maneuvering the frame through the air in rotation about the wheel upon which they are supported. The fork is often rotated 90.degree. or more relative to the wheel supporting the rider. When the fork and frame are manipulated in this manner the unused peg bosses that are welded to the fork rotate into contact with the rider's shoe or ankle. This can detract from the smooth performance of the trick and also cause injury to the rider.